


Brutality

by Gothfoxgirl



Category: Original Work
Genre: Assault, Attempted Murder, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Boy/girl - Freeform, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Gore, M/M, Murder, Murder Mystery, Murderers, Mystery, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Original Story - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, boy/boy, scifi, scifi fantasy, we die like warriors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 06:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18867637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothfoxgirl/pseuds/Gothfoxgirl
Summary: In a world considered normal, there are, of course, instances of the unexplained. The supernatural.One wouldn't think many murders, involving such...otherworldly occurrences, would happen in the world of now.That's where a certain squadron comes in. NYPD's Team Alpha. Also called Team Darren, after the name of their leader.Follow this squad, as they piece together the perpetrators and their motives against these victims with a little more than human lives. Follow them, as their stories are revealed and their bonds grow ever tighter.





	1. Pilot: Prowlers Prowl, Killers Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. SURPRISE! Its not a bnha fic! XD its one of my own this time! It was originally on Deviantart, but didn't really gain traction there.
> 
> These chapters are laid out like full 'episodes' of a TV show, so they might not sound right as chapters. Each of these has a start and an end, but the stories are supposed to blend together.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comment sections!
> 
> Note that these take a while to write and I often forget about these in favor of my other stories, so this one will be very slow growing.

_A pair of large, tanned hands cupped around a masculine face. The man groaned as if in pain and stood, walking to the bathroom. He put his hands on the sink and began to rub his eyes tiredly. His vision began to blur and his eyes began to roll back into his head. The veins on his neck bulged and he turned on the water to splash it onto his face. When his hand shakily moved to catch the water in his palm, his whole body shook violently and he coughed blood, staining his royal blue shirt with reddish blotches. Suddenly, he pitched forward, his nails raking the mirror and leaving long scratches in the glass. He fell to the tiled flooring with a spasm, before going completely limp, facedown in a forming puddle of blood._

 

Two men in their mid to late twenties began to walk toward a police taped region. When they reached the scene, they found a man facedown on the floor. The man with reddish hair and brown eyes spoke in a Scottish accent.  
"Poor lad. Mandy, what happened to 'im?" A woman in her mid twenties looked up, her blue eyes sparkling in the sun.  
"This poor man is Brandon Wintler. It seems he's been dead for about four days, putting his time of death at about 3:45AM on Sunday. Take a look at this, Cole." She lifted the dead man's limp hand. At the end of each finger was a sharp claw instead of a nail. The Scottie scratched the stubble forming on his chin.  
"Aye, and take a look at these here." He gestured to the scratches in the mirror.  
"It looks like he tried to keep himself upright but just couldn't." The other man, who had peach fuzz brunette hair and coarse stubble outlining his jaw in dark brown, made his job that of clearing out a few people from the scene. One woman put her left hand on her hip and her right up to rub her temple.  
"Darren, every time you call half the field officers off the field, you look like you're hiding something!" The man, now named Darren, sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.  
"Jenifer, you're my sister. I worry about you." Shaking her head, she lightly slapped his arm, laughing slightly.  
"I'm twenty five, I can handle myself." Smiling lightly and looking into her eyes, light green clashing with his own bluish hazel ones, he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"I know that Jen. I still worry, you're the only family I have left." Sighing heavily, the sandy blonde woman gave in and walked off the crime scene along with most of the officers. 

Darren wiped his brow with the back of his hand and brought a body bag over to the corpse. Cole was making bad jokes in his Scottish drawl and Mandy laughed at his cheesiness, onyx hair bouncing in curls on her shoulders. The buzz cut man smiled as he reached them and helped them place Mr. Wintler's body into the bag, bringing him to the van that would take them to the morgue. The M.E. stepped into the vehicle, waving to the two partners before closing the door and locking it tight. Moving toward their shared black car, Darren pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, sliding into the driver's seat. Cole made an annoyed face.  
"Why do you always get to drive?" The brunette raised a brow slightly.  
"If I'd let you drive, I'd fear for my life." The driving man smirked at his little joke and record the car up, heading to the precinct. When they arrived and entered, another detective came up to them.  
"So what did you find guys?"  
"Hey Auggie, not much except for the claw marks in the mirror and the claws on our man. There wasn't any sign of a puncture wound, so that leads us to believe he was poisoned," Darren greeted his friend with a slight grimace. Soon, Cole's phone went off with the tone he set for Mandy and he opened the flip phone in a fluid motion, holding it up to his ear.  
"'ello?"  
"You two should get down here."

Rushing down to the autopsy room, the two partners met with Mandy, who gave them her findings.  
"I was running a diagnostic and found a poison in his bloodstream. Guys, I found copious amounts of Silver Oxide lining his stomach and bloodstream. Also I found this in his pocket." She handed them a small piece of paper with a red "V" circled in the same color as the lettering. Cole blinked, his eyes widening and his pupil shrinking in recognition.  
"Do you know what this means?"  
"Do you have a theory?"  
"At the crime scene I noticed at a quick glance around that he had a full bookshelf of books. Yes I have a theory, c'mon!" Cole's accent got a bit thicker as he remembered something from Brandon's apartment, leading the grey eyes man to the car. They made their way back to the crime scene and when they entered the apartment, the Scott found the bookcase and pulled a book from the shelves. Turning it to his partner, he said the title.  
"V for Vendetta. I knew I remembered that symbol from somewhere." Flipping through the pages, he landed on a page with a piece of paper stuck within. He pulled the paper out and read it aloud.  
"A greater evil has fallen on this world. This "man" is merely one of the first to fall. Soon I shall bring the end of the Lycans once and for all!"  
"Our killer seems to be vengeful. I wonder..." Darren took the book from his partner and turned the book's pages a few times, not finding anything. Darren's phone began to go off in his pocket and he picked it up, hearing Mandy's voice.  
"Our victim has claw marks and lacerations not made by any known animal. They look...human, but....not at the same time. Guys, they look like mine..."  
"So our killer's a bloodsucker...no offense."  
"None taken."

Cole sighed, rubbing his neck in frustration.  
"Who could our killer be?" He muttered other phases to himself in his Scottish drawl as Darren had his index and thumb rubbing the bridge of his nose in thought.  
"Where was our victim last seen?"  
"We were told 'e was last seen at the local pub, the Full Moon."  
"Alright, let's go check in with them." Nodding, Cole followed his partner to the car and to the bar. When they stepped out of the vehicle, they were blinded buy the brightly lit neon sign. Blinking their eyes rapidly, they entered the joint, searching for the bartender. When they did, they strode up to him. He was a fairly young man of about twenty five or so with wavy sand colored hair pulled back into a high ponytail. His electric blue eyes seemed to pierce their own, trying to read their minds or souls. Speaking up, the man addressed them with a faint Australian accent.  
"Can I get'cha somethin' ta drink mates?"  
"Actually, we're here to investigate a murder," Darren replied, flashing his NYPD badge and pulling out a picture of the victim. Cole finished what the shaven man was about to say.  
"This man, Brandon Wintler, was murdered four days ago. Do ya remember seein' 'im around then?" The bartender's eyes became dilated as he leaned on the counter, head in his hands.  
"I can't believe the bloke's dead! He was my best mate. Yes, he was in here about then, he was tellin' me how he felt like he was being watched. Ya know, ya need to be "like that" to be in here right? Well, he was one. Hell, I'M one!" The other two waited for the barkeep to get a hold of his emotions again and Cole introduced himself, sticking out a hand for a shake.  
"Cole Davis, this is my partner, Darren Warings." The blondish man shook both their hands.  
"Blake Flynn."  
"We'll...call if anything comes up," Darren scratched the stubble forming on the back of his head and bid Blake a good night. Cole scratched at his stubble in thought.  
"'o was the one that found the lad?"  
"I already spoke to her. She was his neighbor. She told us that she hadn't seen him leave his apartment for a few days so she suspected he was sick. Then, after four days, went to see if he needed help. She found him the way we did and freaked out." 

Groaning, both men stepped back into the elevator at the precinct and pressing the right floor button. When they stepped out, they were met with Auggie, or Agustus, who handed them a file on the contacts found on Wintler's phone. The dirty blonde, Roman, man began to explain, his light teal eyes trailing over the Manila folder.  
"There were only numbers for his mother, father, sister, and a Blake Flynn."  
"We just spoke to Blake and he last saw him at about 1:55 AM that day." Just then, Darren's phone rang and when he picked it up, the aforementioned man's accent came through the speakers.  
"Aye, Darren, was it? I looked through the security tapes and found my mate leaving with a man that had greying black hair and green eyes."  
"Blake, was he "like that"? You said you don't allow anyone else in."  
"Crikey, I remember the bouncers tryin' ta throw him out. While he was strugglin' with them I caught a glimpse of his sharp canines."  
"Would you mind coming in and describing this man to our sketch artist?" As Flynn agreed, Darren ended the call and the group waited in relative silence. They didn't wait long, as the elevator opened fifteen minutes later and the bartender walked in wearing a grey button up and full length blue jeans. At that moment, Auggie led the man back to a room with the sketch artist, Daniel, inside. Daniel was a young man of just over twenty one with black hair that had a white stripe going down the middle and bright green eyes. He had a lip piercing, an eyebrow ring piercing, and a spike earing that attached to a clamp around the top of his ear by a chain. All in all, he was a handsome man, clean shaven and everything. After a short time, Daniel handed the completed the sketch and handed it off to Cole. Once his gaze ran over the page, his brown eyed hardened.  
"Darren, 'e look familia'?" Turning the sheet around, he saw a glint of aggression pass through his partner's eyes.  
"Isn't that..."  
"Yes, this 'ere be the man we've been serchin' for."  
"Cole, who's that?" Said a voice from the corner. It was Auggie. Darren answered his question.  
"That's right. You're new Auggie. This here is Victor Wintler. He's wanted for a killing spree of lycans. He has had a grudge on the whole species cause one killed his parents and younger sister. We've been trying to catch the bastard for years."  
"Wait, you said Wintler. Does that mean..."  
"Yes, apparently, Victor is our victim's father," a new voice came by the wall where a German-American man stood with his arms crossed.

"Vice Director." The man ran his hands through his sandy blonde hair as he sighed and pushed himself off the wall. His aqua eyes opened tiredly, while he rubbed his wrist, since it was sore from the amount of paperwork he had to sign.  
"Vice Direcror Jared," Augustus stood stiffly.  
"Just Jared is fine Augustus," the man chuckled good naturally. Despite his intimidating demeanor, Jason was a good guy, always happy to have a drink and a laugh when asked. Putting the sketch onto a scanner, Darren sent the image up onto the screen and a photo of Victor came up next to it, fitting the description perfectly. Victor had slightly greying black hair and piercing black eyes. He also had sideburns and a goatee with a jagged scar going through his right eye and over his nose, stopping at his chin, going through the corner of his lips.  
"So whose going..."  
"I'm going Auggie," Darren replied.  
"Not alone Darren. I'm goin' with ya," Cole clarified.  
"If you two're going, so am I!" Augustus said determinedly.  
"You two have you're hearts set don't you? Well, let's get going." Slipping his arms through his jacket sleeves, Darren led them to the elevator and out of the building. Entering the car, the brunette took the wheel and drove down the street with Cole reading off the directions to him. After a twenty minute drive, they pulled up to a grey and brown house, stepping from the car. Walking up to the door, Darren rapped his knuckles against the door and stepped back. Soon it opened and a fair woman with pale brunette hair opened the door, her light green eyes scanning over the three. The pulled out their badges and Cole spoke up.  
"Mrs. Wintler, NYPD. We need ta talk to yer husband."  
"Oh, of course. Come in." She opened the door wider, letting them through. 

Once they reached the living room, Cole brought up the morbid topic.  
"Mrs. Wintler. We regretfully have come to inform ye about yer son."  
"Wh-What happened to Brandon?!"  
"Mrs., we have reason to believe...that he was murdered," Darren filled in and watched as she slowly sat on her couch, tying to process what happened.  
"How?"  
"Our M. E. Has found mass quantities of Silver Oxide in his digestive tract." The woman shook slightly with a slight realization crossing her features, as Cole cleared his throat.  
"Mrs., is anyone else in this house at the moment?"  
"No, just us." Darren sighed.  
"Did you have the knowledge of your son being a...lycan?" She raked her fingers through her greying hair with a sigh as she glanced around.  
"Yes, because it's genetic. I'm one too...are you going to kill me now?"  
"No, we only want to know something else. Does your husband, Victor, know about this?" She began to sweat.  
"Last I checked, he didn't." Suddenly, the back door slid open and a young girl in her late teens stepped through. She had long coal black hair and ebony eyes that looked into your soul. Mrs. Wintler gestured to her.  
"This is my daughter, Natalie. She's half-vampire." The girl rose a brow.  
"Mom?" She sighed and turned to her daughter.  
"Natalie, your brother...he's...dead...." The girl broke down there for a while, until she composed herself and stood. Her pupils were slitted as she sniffed the air around the two oldest men and growled lowly in a defensive pose. When she smelled the air around Augustus, she recoiled with a hiss as if she had been mildly burned.  
"You three...are not human..." Her mother turned to her again confused.  
"What do you mean?"  
"The older two have this musky aroma...the other has a holy sort of energy. It burns." Auggie shifted nervously.  
"S-Sorry..." Natalie stood up normally again and smiled at him.  
"It's fine. Your aura is actually quite comforting in a way."  
"Th-Thanks," he fiddled with his fingers as Cole laughed.  
"We keep tellin' the lad that, but he turns into that every time!" Darren stood and handed the woman a card with a number on it.  
"We should be going. If anything comes up on Brandon's enemies, call."

After over twenty minutes of driving, they ended up at a coffee shop and ordered what they wanted. Starting up a brainstorming conversation, they began to point out that Victor had begun a strong argument with Brandon to the point that physical violence had begun to break out from Victor's end. Suddenly, Darren's phone rang with an unknown number and the hazel-eyed man picked up.  
"Warrens." On the other end, a hysterical female voice came through.  
"Please! Get back to my house! This is Natalie Wintler. Mom's been murdered!"  
"Woah woah! We're on our way!" He hung up and quickly told Cole what happened. They sped back to the house, where Natalie was outside on the front stoop, rocking herself. Cole squatted in front of her and she looked up.  
"M-Mom...she's...." She shakily pointed to the house and Darren stepped inside, to see the woman face up on the carpet, a bullet hole in her head. He pulled out his phone and called Mandy.  
"Hey....we got another body."  
"Who is it?"  
"Brandon's mother."  
"I'll be there as fast as I can." Another twenty minutes flew by and the black haired woman found both detectives trying to calm Natalie down. Mandy had brought only one other person with her, Augustus. He rushed over to the tree.  
"Natalie, can you tell me what happened or how you found your mother?" She looked up to him, tears dripping from her eyes.  
"I-I can tell you better...I saw who the shooter was..."  
"Who?" More tears poured from her eyes.  
"My father..." Mandy sat next to her, rubbing circles onto her back.  
"It's going to be alright. I'm Amanda Aldera, but most others call me Mandy."  
"Silver bullet..."  
"Huh?"  
"He shot her with a silver bullet. I knew my mom was a lycan and that both me and my brother were half vampire, half lycan. Dad didn't know though, until today. He killed her, because she was a creature he despised." Darren put a hand on her shoulder.  
"We'll find him."  
"Thank you." The brunette nodded and was pulled aside by Auggie, who's eyes were lit aflame with anger.  
"Auggie?"  
"Let me help you catch this bastard." It wasn't a question, Darren could feel that and replied with a nod.  
"This would also be good desensitization to field work for you. But, be careful. He's a vampire and you're human...at least I think you are...anyways, just be careful."  
"I'm not fully human, Darren. I'm a-" he was cut off by Darren's phone ringing.  
"Warrings."  
"Darren, Victor's on the move!" It was Jared.  
"Where?"  
"Our locators pinpointed him at a warehouse about thirty miles from where you are."  
"We're on it. Also, add this to Victor's list of offenses. Two counts of homicide. He killed his wife after finding out she was a lycan. We're sending his daughter, Natalie, with Mandy for protection from her father."  
"Right. Get going!" 

After hanging up, Darren called to Cole.  
"Cole! Victor's been spotted at a warehouse thirty miles from here. Let's get going. Mandy, please take Natalie back to the precinct with you." With a nod from everyone, the three men piled into the car and they were off. After fifteen minutes with their sirens on, they came to a dilapidated building that spanned the size of three football fields. Opening the doors, they stepped in, specialized guns at the ready. These weapons didn't fire normal bullets, but wooden ones that would be lit aflame when shot. A shadow scurried through the boxes and all three pressed their backs together in a triangle formation, keeping their eyes peeled for the murderer. Suddenly, there was a loud 'thud' and someone had landed in front of them. It was Victor and he was dressed in a crisp black suit that was slightly stained with blood. A smirk tugged his lips, showing his fangs to glint in the light.  
"What do I owe the pleasure of the presence of two lycans and a human?" His voice came out scummy and sarcastic. Cole growled.  
"Put yer hands where we can see 'em!" Victor scowled and jumped backward, using his claws to dig into the concrete floor and keep his balance.  
"You're not taking me to the slammer! Over my dead body!" His body morphed and became more limber and spidery. The two older detectives put away their guns and lunged forward, transforming into their wolf forms. Darren's fur was a dusty grey color, while Cole's wolf form was fire orange with a brownish tint. Darren turned to Auggie.  
"Cover us!" The blonde nodded and ducked behind some boxes, lining up to shoot at Victor, determination in his eyes. 

Cole charged at the vampire, swiping at him, only to be sent backwards slightly. He used his body weight to keep himself grounded and when he skidded to a halt, he immediately took off again, lunging at the black-haired man again. Darren was about to join in, but he was tackled by another man with black hair and dark blue eyes.  
"It's been a while Darren." Said man growled.  
"Sebastian Wintler." Locked in close quarter combat, both groups bit and scratched at each other like wild animals. Augustus aimed and shot at each vampire, missing Sebastian, but grazing Victor's calf, causing him to hiss in pain and lose his footing enough for Cole to barrel into him, but be thrown off him and sent skidding. Darren panted heavily in his human form, blood dripping from his head and lip. His shirt was torn up and the pieces were scattered, while a long scratch was present on his hairless chest. Cole hit the wall again behind Darren, who was keeping a sharp glare on Sebastian. The vampire in question was also breathing heavily slightly, cuts and scrapes littered over his body. The dust cleared and Cole stood up shakily in his human form, many scrapes and bruises forming, along with a thick stream of blood dribbling from his split open lip. Victor smirked from the other side of the room, the only injuries to show for the short brawl being a bruise forming in his cheek and a short scratch on the other.

The wooden bullets had stopped flying and all four fighters glanced to the blonde, who had stood and began taking slow, loud steps closer to the fight, his hair shadowing his face. Darren's eyes widened.  
"Augustus! Stay down!"  
"No. I won't cower and let you two fight alone!" His head snapped up, sandy strands flying away from his eyes, but...they were different. Instead of the light teal they normally were, they were a light blue that was almost white. Victor snorted.  
"You should listen to your friends, boy! A human can't defeat a vampire!" A smirk grew on the Roman's lips.  
"Who said I was human?" As, he hunched forward, glitter-like golden particles seemed to be pulled toward him. They attached to his back, quickly creating wings of golden light and with a spark, they became wings of pure white feathers. The young man's clothing had changed to a set of bronze sandals and a white toga, which had a golden waist sash. His eyes had turned completely white and the pupil had vanished entirely. The holy light spilling off of him caused both vampires to recoil, small burns forming on their skin. Stretching out his arms, he began to speak in Latin.  
"Haec impuras animas erit signati." Augustus began to glow brighter.  
"Ut facias nobis quidquam mali obsidione." The two's hisses became louder, as they held their heads in pain.  
"Ego eram concludens in carcerem te per manum Dei!" The light shot forward and formed cuffs of energy on their wrists. The rest of the light created another set around their legs and, when Auggie released his powers, the light on their wrists turned into cuffs that secured their hands in a combined glove of iron. The light on their legs turned into a tight band of metal that immobilized them from moving other than walking.

Kneeling, Augustus held his head, as Darren and Cole made their way to him, both with their eyes wide.  
"You're...an angel?" The blonde chuckled, still cradling his head.  
"Heh, I'm half angel. My mother was human. Ow...every time...splitting headache." Cole sat him up when he noticed something odd. Augustus was bleeding from the eyes and it looked like he was crying it.  
"'Aye is this normal?" The blonde swiped his hand over his face and looked at the blood coating his hand.  
"Agh. Yeah. Happens every time."  
"Ya don't transform that often?"  
"No, I don't like using my gift for fighting. I'd rather use normal means." Darren wrapped the half-angel's arm over his neck and helped him stand. The Roman turned to the two bound vampires and with a flick of his wrist, they levitated over to the three, as they stepped outside. Forcing the two into the car, Augustus brought out the first-aid and wrapped both of them up tightly. The two slipped into shirts that weren't shredded and got into the car, the prisoners had been sat behind the grate, which was pulled shut.

Arriving back at the precinct, Augustus supported the weight of Cole, who'd sprained his ankle during the fight. Darren walked next to them, completely exhausted, almost literally dragging the two culprits into the interrogation room. The blonde took both of them down to Mandy, after Darren dropped the murderers off. To say that the curly haired woman was panicked was an understatement.  
"What happened to you two!" They summarized their fight, along with the youngest man's transformation. Mandy blinked as she fixed the bandaging job.  
"You're half angel Auggie?"  
"Yeah...can you do me a favor?"  
"Sure, what can I do?"  
"Could you test my blood to see who my father is?"  
"Of course." She took a little blood from his wrist and bandaged the puncture wound. Grabbing a phone, she dialed Jared.  
"Hey, Cole might need to get a set of crutches from the hospital."  
"Go ahead. He's had a long two days. All four of you have."  
"Thank you." She hung up and gave Cole a nod and he smiled. 

Darren and Auggie went down to the interrogation room, while Mandy took Cole to the hospital. When they opened the door, Victor sat in the seat, as Sebastian had immediately been taken to the holding cells. Darren sat down, wincing slightly, before looking at the man dead in the eye.  
"Why did you kill both your wife and son?"  
"Ah, bringing out the big guns already?" Victor dodged the question, only to have a pissed off Roman in his face, hands slammed down on the table.  
"Don't give us that! Tell us why!" Startled, the man hissed from the slight holy energy the man was giving off.  
"Alright! Dammit that burns! It's simple. They were lycans."  
"And you just killed your wife and son out of revenge for their race?! You're a disturbed son of a bitch!"  
"If I'd known that my wife was a lycan, I'd've never married her!" The flame in Auggie's eyes flared into a bonfire, as he growled.  
"That gives you no excuse to kill her or your son! Would you have gone after your daughter as well?!" The vampire gave him a cold look.  
"Yes."  
"That's all we needed to hear. Victor Wintler, you're under arrest for numerous counts of homicide, which includes the murders of your son, Brandon Wintler and your wife, Marisa Wintler. You have the right to remain silent. Anything said can and will be used against you in a court of law," Darren recited while pulling the man from the room.  
"What of Sebastian?" Victor questioned.  
"He will be tried for harboring a fugitive and attacking a federal officer."  
"My daughter?"  
"She has turned eighteen. She can either live with another family member or live on her own." Natalie looked at her father from the corner of her eye, mixed feelings of hatred and sorrow swimming through her mind.

 

After hours, Darren sat on his couch with his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. It had been a long day and he was beyond tired. Letting a sigh pass his lips, he leaned back into his chair for a moment, before standing and stepping into the bathroom. He removed his shirt and tossed it into the laundry bin, his back facing the mirror. Five long pink claw scars dragged from his left collar bone down his back muscles to his right hip, going beneath the crisp white bandages.


	2. Episode 1: Blood of The Innocent

_The maid stepped to a hotel door with the raised number 777 on it in black. She was about to open it, when she spotted something red pooling at her feet. Looking down, she saw it was blood and it was coming from the door. Stepping back a bit, she unlocked the door and swung it open. In the hallway twenty feet from the door, laying face up, was a woman with strawberry blonde hair and light brown eyes that had lost their life. She laid in her own blood, which seemed to be all there was in her body, a bronzen staff in her hand with dull silver leaved inlays into the pole, that looked to have dulled as she died. The maid screamed and ran to the nearest phone._

 

Dean slid the 'answer call' slider to pick it up.  
"Warrings."  
"Hey, Darren."  
"Yes, Mandy?"  
"We've got a body. Heavens Hotel. Suite 777."  
"On our way." He hung up and turned his head to Cole, short feathery brunette strands tossing to the side.   
"C'mon we got a body." The Scottie followed his partner out to the car, getting in the passenger seat without a word. 

As they pulled up to the tall hotel building, Cole whistled.  
"Now there's a big building." Darren bobbed his head in agreement.  
"It's supposed to be the fanciest hotel in the city. Let's get going. The room's on the sixty-second floor." Walking into the hotel, they boarded the elevator and pressed the right floor number. Reaching the room, they found that the blood from the victim had ran out of the room and dried just outside the door frame. Reaching Mandy, Darren crouched.  
"What happened?"  
"A maid came by to clean the room and found her. Abigail Crownen. Twenty-eight years old." She pointed her pen to the woman's neck, where a ring of deep purple sat.   
"Cause of death is strangulation from behind. Stab wounds to her stomach and just below her ribs were made post mortem."  
"Probably to make sure she was dead."  
"There's too much blood to be made from the stab wounds. A person would have to have an entire limb or two severed to produce this much blood from an injury." Looking up, she saw that most of the normal detectives were facing the opposite direction.  
"Boys, help me roll her up so we can see her back. I have a sinking gut feeling." They did as told and slipped on a set of latex gloves each, rolling the body so that the rest of the room couldn't see it. 

Down from her shoulders to the end of the scapula on both sides were two deep gashes with a small portion of bone sticking through the wounds, a couple feathers scattered beneath her. Abigail had been an angel. Darren sighed and looked up.  
"Jen." She turned to him and sighed, seeing the look in his eyes.  
"Alright alright. I know the drill." She walked out of the crime scene an irritated frown on her face.  
"Ya know, yer sis' gonna find out sooner or later. Why not tell 'er now?"  
"I'm just...I don't want her to fear me. I'm just not ready to tell her about how true all the movies and books are about our world." Cole pat his back and Darren winced slightly. The Scottie sighed.  
"Yer scars actin' up again?" With a nod, the brunette pulled the two into the other room and Mandy pulled out a tube of ointment, used to this happening on occasion. He turned his back to her and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his scarred back. The discolored skin was raw and looked fresh, but the three knew that they were very old. Smearing the gel over the long scratch marks, she could hear him sigh in relief and relax his back muscles. The ointment seemed to disappear into his skin and the surface became dry to the touch within seconds. She put light pressure on the long one going from shoulder to hip.  
"Does this hurt?" He shook his head and replaced his shirt, turning to her.  
"I don't know how you do it." She simply smiled and patted his shoulder, going back to the other room. Darren turned to Cole.  
"Thanks."  
"For what?"  
"Being there for me. I still can't believe it's been ten years since I met you."   
"Believe it. And I don't regret it." Darren pat his friend on the back once and pulled him to the room again, just as the body was being bagged. 

 

Looking around, Darren breathed.  
"There's no sign of a struggle. She must've known her attacker." Cole heaved a sigh.  
"Poor lass. Someone must've taken 'er wings as a trophy." The Scottie scratched at his trimmed beard, looking to the body bag with a look of pity crossing his eyes. Moving to the five other detectives in the room, he was intercepted by one with blonde hair in a bob cut. She held up an evidence bag.  
"We found her cellphone on the counter. There aren't many contacts though. A Patrick Monably and a Laura Fosters." Nodding, Darren spoke.  
"Thank you...I'm sorry. Are you knew?" She gave him a smile.  
"Yes. I'm Natalia Emms. I'm a Phoenix. I know you're a lycan." They shook hands and parted ways for the moment. Daren held the bag in his gloved hands, as he passed it to Cole and moved toward the bedroom. He looked to the bed, finding that the sheets were neatly made with no signs of it being disturbed.   
"Cole? Has the maid been in here?"  
"No, she was the one that found Abbigail."  
"Keep searching for evidence, I'm gonna go talk to her." Cole nodded and Darren walked to the outside hall, where the maid stood with a couple officers. Her black hair was a frizzed mess, as she paced a bit, looking like her heart was going to burst. She was DEFINITELY shaken up. Her dark grey eyes flickered over the floor, as she gripped her hair with shaking pale hands. Darren stepped closer to her.  
"Miss? My name's Detective Darren Warrens." She stopped and turned to him, shaking his hand with her own quivering one.   
"Jun Hayashi or Hayashi Jun." She had a clear Japanese accent that quivered with her body.  
"Miss Hayashi, can you tell me what happened? How did you find her?" 

Jun took a deep breath.  
"I came to clean, make the bed, and take the trash and laundry out. When I was about to knock, blood ran out from the gap under the door. I nudged open the door and saw her laying lifeless and called 911." Darren nodded and noted key points on a notepad.  
"So you didn't enter the room?"  
"No. I used the phone on the wall a few meters down the hall." He nodded again and was about to turn away, when he felt her aura. Taking a couple steps toward her, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, which was hidden by her hair.  
"Are you a...ya know...an elf?" Her startled expression gave her away.  
"How?"  
"Don't worry," Darren transformed his hand so that he had his claws out for a split second. She gasped lightly.  
"Lycan."  
"Yes. And since you're an elf, I can tell you that our victim, Abigail, was an angel and the reason there was so much blood was because someone took her wings." Jun looked at him in disbelief, as he smirked.  
"I could see your curiosity. It was quite obvious." He stepped back and handed her a card.  
"If you find anything we may have missed or have any info on Abigail or her enemies, call this number, it's the one for the precinct." She nodded and watched as he walked away. She looked over the card. It looked normal with his name, occupation, and number on it. But, when her eyes shifted to a pinkish color, she gasped softly. The card turned a dark red. The color a Lycan gives the objects and surfaces they touch. She squinted at a thought and, once everyone was cleared out, she peered through the door again, her eyes still pink. She let out a startled yelp.

Back at the precinct, Cole and Darren were down in the autopsy room with Mandy. She lifted her shoulder.  
"Someone cut her wings off...any thoughts?" Cole scritched at his beard.  
"Would have ta be someone who'd be enemies of Heaven." Darren stayed silent for a moment, before speaking.  
"Creatures of the underworld. Lycans, vampires, demons, devils, succubi, and incubi. Those are the choices we have to go off of." Suddenly, Auggie poked his head through the door.  
"Darren, a Jun Hayashi is on the phone." The brunette nodded and followed the half-angel up the stairs that led back to the offices. He picked the phone up.  
"Warrens."  
"This is Jun. I found something." His hazel eyes widened slightly.  
"I'm on my way." Darren hung up and nodded to Augustus.  
"Tell them that if they need me to call me."  
"Of course."

The car rolled up to the Heavens Hotel and Darren stepped from the vehicle. He made it to the, still taped off, crime scene and found Jun standing near the door, fidgeting slightly.  
"Jun?" She took a breath.  
"Elves have the power to see the aura creatures leave behind. When I took your card earlier, I used the power, which turned your card red, since that's what lycans leave behind. I had an idea and when I looked around the room, there was the gold-white color from Abigail, but there was another color. All around the room, I found smears of blackish-purple. An incubus." Darren's eyes widened.  
"Damn...that's a handy power. Have you ever thought of entering the detective field?"  
"I have, but I never could. People would question how I knew things and those are questions, the world isn't ready to know the answer to."   
"There's one division that would cherish your abilities, Miss Jun." She smiled and got back on topic.  
"There weren't that many spots of purple, but the bed was saturated and there were very sparse footprints." Darren scratched at his stubble.  
"This means that this incubi flew a lot..." His phone went off and he answered.  
"Warrens."  
"Darren, we found something we aren't sure of," Cole's voice echoed across the connection.   
"I'm on my way back." He hung up and turned to Jun.  
"I need to go."  
"Of course," she nodded respectfully. The brunette's began to walk back down the hall, before he glanced back.  
"You coming or what?"  
"Nani?" Darren smiled.  
"Since you know it was an incubi that did this, you may be targeted. The precinct would be the safest place for you." She nodded and followed him to the car.

When they returned, Jun followed him to the entrance to the morgue. She didn't want to encroach, as she stated, but her companion merely smiled.  
"Cole! Mandy!" The two turned, Cole tilting his head.  
"Isn't she the maid from the hotel?" Jun bowed nervously, but Darren pat her on the shoulder.   
"Jun, meet Cole and Mandy. They're like us. Cole's a Lycan and Mandy's a vampire. Guys, Jun's an elf." There was a blur and Mandy was already feeling the smaller girl's hair.  
"It's so soft!" Jun giggled and looked curiously at the little fangs that poked over the M.E.'s pale lips. Cole bellowed a laugh.  
"Don't ya worry, lass! Mandy 'asn't bitten anyone since...I don't even remember." Mandy chuckled.  
"I was twelve the last time I bit someone. Even then, I was scared and cornered." Darren chuckled.  
"What was this situation you needed me for?"  
"Can she handle the blood?"  
"Jun?"  
"H-Hai!" Moving back to the table, Abigail was flipped on her stomach. On her back was the left over bits of her wings, but they'd just started to turn red.   
"The skin around her wing stumps started to turn red, but whatever the process, it stopped when she died. It's not far enough to know what it is though." Darren slipped on a pair of gloves and moved the stumps slightly, his eyes widening.  
"Look. An angel's wings have a narrower base for flexibility, but hers are wider than they should be." Jun's gasp tore his gaze to her. Her eyes had turned pink again.  
"She still has her aura, but there it's mixing with the purple one." The hazel-eyed man let the realization set in and turned the woman's head, seeing a mark in her hairline. Using both hands, he moved the blonde hair out of the way. Glaring back at him was a symbol, seemingly burned into her skin, leaving a red mark. They were symbols made from lines.  
"This look like kanji, but I'm not sure what it says." Jun took a closer look.  
"I do. It says 'lover'."

"It looks like she was sleeping with an incubus. She was starting to transform into a succubus," Darren put together, scratching the stubble on his face. Cole stared at the mark.  
"So...why d'ya think she was killed?" Darren tried to come up with any sort of scenario possible.  
"She didn't know he was an incubus?" Mandy shook her head.  
"No, angels can sense evil."  
"He forced her." Jun shook her head.  
"Also not possible. The aura was still on the bed, not all over the place. It would've shown signs of her thrashing."  
"She must've been corrupt, then. But...why would he kill her?" Cole, who'd been silent, looked up, his black eyes gleaming.  
"Wait. Turn 'er over." Darren turned her onto her back and his partner traced his finger over the air above her stomach. There were tribal tattoos on her skin in white.   
"There!" He pointed to a symbol just under the arch of her ribs. Darren turned, his hands on his head.  
"Shit!" Jun looked at him confused.  
"What? What does that mean?"  
"Abigail was part of The Heavenly Guard."  
"And..."  
"That's one of the highest military powers that acts only by the word of the generals or God himself." Mandy's hand flew up.  
"You've got to be kidding me!"  
"What?"  
"This incubus was sleeping with her and he must have freaked out when she started changing. If The Heavenly Guard found out, they'd have a bigger bounty on him than normal. He's going to either be in hiding or back in Hell already!" Cole tried to calm Mandy down, while Darren had his thumb on his lip.  
"They said that there were only two contacts in her phone. I'm gonna go look them up."

A bit later, he knocked on the door of a plain white colored house that had a darkly stained wood door. There were footsteps that grew louder, until the door opened. A young man with black hair and bright greenish blue eyes opened the door. Darren held up his badge.  
"Are you Patrick Monably?"  
"No, that's my brother. I can get him for you if you'd like." He nodded and was let in. Darren stood at the edge of the room, until a heavier set of steps came down the wood floored hall. The older man that walked in had flame orange hair and teal eyes.  
"Detective? My brother said you were looking for me?" His voice held an odd accent. It wasn't like any other one Darren had heard before.  
"Yes. Do you know an Abigail Crownen?" Furrowing his brow, Patrick nodded.  
"Yes, she's my girlfriend. Did...Did something happen to her?" Darren sighed.  
"She's dead."  
"Dead? No. She's a strong fighter. Not much could hurt her, let alone kill her!" Darren sighed.  
"I'm...sorry for this, but...where were you Monday at 4PM?"  
"I was here. My sister can vouch for me, along with my parents. We were having a little get together after a couple years apart." Darren nodded.  
"What's your brother's name?"  
“Orion. Do you think he has something to do with this?”  
“I don’t know. Do you? Did he have anything against her?”  
“Well...he did. You'll think I’m crazy but-“  
“You’re an incubus.”  
“How’d you know?”  
“My partner and I are lycans. We know things. Just like how Abigail was an angel. One of the Heavenly Guard no less. Either you or your brother had something to do with her death. The aura of an incubus was all over her bed.”  
“I knew she was part of the Heavenly Guard. But, I didn’t kill her. I LOVED Abigail. I...I was planning on proposing next month on her birthday...”  
“Then how did we find her dead?”  
“I don’t know. I-Wait. My brother never accepted her. He was hostile and vicious ever since I brought her home the first time. My sister was fine with her and they actually got along. It must be my brother.”  
“You’re so quick to sell out you’re own damn flesh and blood. Why should I believe you?” Patrick stared him dead in the eye.  
“My brother has hated me since we were teenagers. He gave me this scar in an attempt to rip out my kidneys.” He lifted his shirt and there were claw mark scars across his lower back, glaring a bright red. He put the cloth down, just as he spoke again.  
“Why would I protect someone that tried to kill me?” Just then, Darren’s phone went off.  
“Warrens.” Mandy could be heard on the other side.  
“Darren, we found two things. There was a high dose of Rohpynol in her system. It was enough to knock out a horse.”  
“And the second thing?”  
“There was a fist sized ball of iron in her rectum alongside a rubber glove.”  
“Did you get a fingerprint?”  
“Yes. Orion Monably.”  
“Got it.”  
“Do you need a tracer?” 

Darren looked up, seeing the raven haired man in the doorway.  
“No.”  
“Why?”  
“I’m staring right at him,” he hung up and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of handcuffs made from a carved salt crystal.  
“Orion Monably. You are under arrest for the murder of Abigail Crownen. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law-“ Orion took off, bolting through the house and up the stairs. Darren was hot on his heels, until he burst through a bedroom door, coming to face a wall with a pair of wings pinned to it, folded down. The white and gold feathers were stained with dried blood. On the desk were bottles of sleeping powder and a single, bloody, glove was in the wastebasket by the chair. Orion stood by a window.   
“I won’t go down so easily.” His face morphed into, what could only be described as, that of a gargoyle. His hair was gone, leaving a grey skinned, bald, head, staring at him with sharpened teeth hissing with a venomous hatred, so poisonous, it could almost be felt. He unfurled a set of sickly grey, sinewy, wings. In actuality, they were but an attachment of skin from his wrist to his hip, pulsating with gross veins and tipped with sharpened claws. His waistline shrunk, giving him the appearance of an emaciated starvation victim with ribs almost hitting at sharp angles and tips of vertebrae nearly like spines down his back. In all, he was a hideous sight. 

Darren pulled out his gun and aimed, a load of pure iron cased bullets in the magazine. He aimed and fired. Orion’s reflexes had him raising an arm up to block the projectiles, but they burned straight paths as they grazed his wing. His eyes glowed, as he hissed in anger and pain. He dove at the officer, as Darren underwent his own transformation. He blocked a clawed foot with his arm and grabbed the back of the demon’s head with the other, slamming him into the window and out into the back alleyway, skidding across the asphalt, hitting the back of his head on a brick wall. Pain blossomed in his skull, as black colored blood painted the back of his neck. A thud let him know that Darren had landed feet first in front of him. Rippling muscle could be seen, even past the thick and course fur that covered his structure. He gave a howl, before grabbing the front of Orion’s face, picking him up by it.   
“You disgust me. Taking an angel’s wings as trophy. People like you make me sick.” He threw him down and started grinding his foot into the back of the demon’s head. What he failed to notice at first, was that Orion had a tail. Said appendage wrapped around his other ankle and dragged him to the ground, as the incubus stood, the claw in the back of his foot elongating, intent on crushing the detective’s skull, but missed, clipping the tendon in his neck. The wound bled a startling red, matting his fur in clumps. As if he didn’t notice the pain, he lunged, tackling the horrifying beast in front of him, biting into his shoulder. Orion only chuckled.  
“After I kill you, I’ll find those you cherish. And...I will kill them all...” That was all it took for Darren to snap. Visions swarmed his vision. Jenifer. Mandy. Cole. Auggie. Director Jared. His vision flashed red, as he continued to tear into this monster beneath him over and over. Not even the sickening crack of bone or the foul taste of blood stopped him. It wasn’t until he saw a pair of light teal eyes staring back at his hazel ones. A wash swept him over and he realized what he was doing and how hard he was panting. He released the demon’s broken neck, letting his lifeless head fall limply to the ground with a thud. He scrambled off of the cooling body and reverted back.

Sobbing filled the air, drawing attention to the man that seemed so strong. Darren felt a pair of arms cradle his head against a lean chest, soft dirty blonde hair tickling the back of his neck. He breathed in the scent of rosé wine, frankincense, and old books, as he bathed in the familiar calming aura. Augustus pet his palm across the side of his coworker’s head, the man’s fluffed brown hair slowly growing back from being shaved months ago. He’d never seen the senior officer so broken. Then, he heard a faint whimper.   
“Darren?” The man’s voice was nearly silent, as he spoke hoarsely.  
“...I’m a monster...”  
“No,” Auggie held him closer.  
“Yes. I almost ripped him in half.”  
“Yes, but he did threaten you and attack you out of cold blood. He murdered a woman and almost killed his own brother. He was violent and you put an end to his anger. You put others at ease that he won’t hurt his brother again or find a way to escape prison. You are no monster. You are a hero. If not, know that you’re a hero in my eyes.” The tears on Darren’s face mixed with the blood coating his mouth and chin, as he choked out his response.  
“Thank you...” The half angel smiled wide and helped him to his feet.  
“Let’s get you patched and cleaned up, while the others come and burn the body.” Darren nodded and walked out on shaky legs, towards an ambulance parked on the street. The medic wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and pat his uninjured one, before tending to him.  
“It’s alright, Darren. Just breathe.”  
“Thanks, Marcus.” The black haired man smiled, slipping his shades down just enough to see a golden iris with a slit pupil wink at him. The lycan smiled back weakly, as a hand rubbed soft circles into his back, as he caught sight of a fire in the back alley, indicating the burning of Orion’s remains. A faint screech let him know that the foul demon could not be reborn again into another body. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders, as Marcus waved a hand of healing fire over his neck, stitching the flesh and muscle back together again. He was handed a water bottle and he used it to clean his face and mouth of blood. Then, five hands settled on his shoulder, joining the two other men. When he opened his eyes, he saw those he cared for. Alive. Mandy. Auggie. Marcus. Cole. Jared. Jun. Jenifer. They were there and he was happy they were safe. Now. He only had to protect them from the monster within himself.


	3. Episode 2: Carnage

_A pale man with black hair sprinted under a full glowing moon. His ragged pants echoed through the forest, as his feet crunched over dead leaves, not caring if he made noise. Rough grunts and the scraping of clawed feet followed behind him. His foot snagged on a root and he went stumbling to the ground, his neck craning back. Fear filled shaking green eyes, as the creature lunged. His scream tore the air, as a tearing noise splattered the snow red with fresh blood._

 

Mandy crouched over the mangled corpse of a man with very few strands of ebony hair hanging onto his scalp. She cringed, mumbling.  
"Damn...I know what made this." Turning to the detectives.  
"You guys know the drill. If you're in Darren and Cole's division, stay. If not, this is not a case for you." There were grumbles of protest, but soon there were only about twenty detectives on the field. Then, Darren walked up with Cole by his side, examining the body.  
"Damn, I wasn't aware there were bears or wolves in this forest." The corpse looked like its chest cavity was torn out and blood stained every surface of the man's body. One of his eyes was missing, as a lone olive colored orb stared upward, frozen in pure fear. The lower jaw was missing, adding to the gruesome visage, and several full bites were taken out of various parts of his body. Long scratch marks tore across his face, arms, back, and the back of his neck. Blood soaked the snow around the body for a good five feet in all directions. Mandy grimaced.  
"This wasn't an animal attack."  
"What?"  
"Look here," she moved her gloved hands to point to the torn open chest cavity.  
"See the nearly clean teeth marks? They're jagged, but they sliced through his flesh and bone with little to no problem." Darren blinked, a horrified expression crawling onto his face, as he whispered.  
"A wendigo..." Cole rose a brow.  
"A...what?" Mandy rubbed her eye tiredly.  
"A wendigo is a Canadian myth of skeletal humans or bipedal animals that have sharp teeth and long claws. Their diet mainly made up of human flesh. Only...they're not myths."  
"Damn..." The Scottie scratched at his beard with a heavy sigh. Darren furrowed his brow.  
"How do we even catch a wendigo to question them?" Mandy looked at him.  
"They have normal human forms that have normal human thought and can change at will. Like you two and your wolf forms."

Darren sighed.  
"Now, how do we figure out WHO did this?" Cole scratched at his sideburns.  
"We could filter down our search computers fer wendigos. By the way Mandy explained, it doesn't seem like there are many here." The M.E. nodded.  
"Wendigos that can shift are actually pretty rare. Once the human flesh becomes a craving, they start to lose all humanity."  
"Then how do we know that this is a shifter?" Darren nodded.  
"An inhuman wendigo would've eaten the entire corpse, bone and all." Mandy also pointed to the various scratch marks and missing mandible.  
"These look like they were made out of anger. Revenge."

Back at the precinct, Mandy sighed and began running tests to digitally reconstruct the man's face. Once she did, her jaw fell loose and tears dripped from her eyes, as she rung up the two lycans. They came down like Satan himself was on their heels.  
"What did ya find out?" The raven haired woman turned the monitor their way. Darren's eyes widened to the size of plates.  
"Oh shit. Adam...Mandy, are you sure you can do this?" She steeled herself.  
"Yes. Even though he's my brother, I'm sure I can do this." The screen glowed, the face of a man with black hair and green eyes pulled up on screen. Under the picture, was his name. Adam Aldera.

Mandy sat with the two detectives and her parents.  
"Mom. Dad."  
"Amanda, what's wrong?" Her father leaned forward, placing a hand on hers, as she let a couple tears fall from her eyes, the skin red and puffy.  
"Our newest investigation was the body of a man, chest and face torn apart." Her mother looked worried.  
"Mandy..." The M.E. screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.  
"It was...Adam..." She heard their gasps of horror and reopened her eyes.  
"Wh-Who..."  
"We're investigating at the moment. Mom...do you know anyone who'd want to kill him?"   
"O-Of course. He was a publisher! All the authors he refused to publish got angry and sent death threats. Some more violent than others." They got the paperwork together that let the precinct in on who was denied and who wasn’t when Adam had been publishing literature.

Back in the autopsy room, Mandy went back to work with the remains. Something stood out in what remained of his cheek. A broken off nail. She sent it to forensics for a DNA match. When it came back, she flipped through the list of names, landing on the match. Thalia Donton. 

Cole and Darren stood inside the interrogation room, staring down the scared woman.  
“Thalia Donton. Registered wendigo. Author.” She said nothing, only nodding. She shivered, obviously frightened as hell. Darren sighed.  
“Thalia. We found a piece of your nail in the face of Adam Aldera. Care to tell us how it got there?” She took a breath.  
“I...I’m his friend. He and I rough house a lot. It broke off during one of these times. Is something wrong? Is Adam ok? I haven’t seen him in a few days.” Cole sighed.  
“Adam is dead.” She choked on her words.  
“D...Dead?”  
“Yes. Torn apart by a wendigo.”  
“You...think I killed him? No! Why would I kill my own friend?” Cole sat up.  
“He wouldn’t publish yer work? ‘Ow’s that for motive?” She rubbed her brown eyes.  
“No. He wouldn’t publish for me, because he didn’t want to seem biased. Since we were friends and all.”  
“Friends with benefits?” She chuckled.  
“No. Not possible. Adam was gay. And I’m a lesbian. We were perfect friends. Yes we argued, but it never got violent. Any injuries we got was from wrestling and the like. Besides, I have a girlfriend. She’s a werewolf.”  
“Adam...was our ME’s brother. She’s devastated. If you have any information, let us know at our division’s number,” Darren handed her his card and, just as he stood up, she spoke.  
“Eric Perks.”  
“What?”  
“He’s a wendigo and one of Adam’s exes. They had a messy break up. I was scared it would get violent.” Darren put a hand on her shaking one, as he nodded to the one way window.   
“You can stay in the waiting room, while we call someone to pick you up.”  
“I...I can drive.” He sighed.  
“You just found out your friend was murdered. You’re not emotionally stable enough. I’m sorry.”  
“No...no...you’re right. Thank you.” He nodded and stood, holding the door for his partner and Thalia. She sat at one of waiting chairs for a moment. 

The heater was on to warm frostbitten skin, chilled from the late fall air. The scent of warm apple cider filled the building with cinnamon and cloves, giving the precinct a comforting and homey atmosphere. It was this drink that found its way into the hands of one Amanda Aldera, as she walked into the main building. She walked over to the red headed woman that sat in the lounge.  
“Good afternoon...” Thalia looked up.  
“Yes...it is...” Mandy chewed her lip.  
“No...it’s not. I know what happened to Adam.” The auburn haired woman looked up, surprised when a cup entered her vision.  
“Cider. It’s chilly and you seemed like you need it.”  
“Thank you, Miss...”  
“Amanda. Amanda Aldera.”  
“You’re Adam’s sister...”  
“Yes.”  
“Thalia Donton.” They shook hands and Mandy sat to her left.   
“I saw your interrogation. I don’t remember you knowing my brother.”  
“We met when we were in college.”  
“That’s right. He moved away to go to school. That was a good eight years ago.”  
“I can tell you so many stories about him…”  
“Me too…”

Elsewhere, Darren stood, staring at a photograph. His stare seemed blank, almost haunted. Cole put his hand on his partner’s shoulder, making him jolt  
“Oh...It's just you…”  
“What're ya starin’ at?”   
“It's Adam’s rib cage...something just doesn't add up. The teeth marks might go all the way through, but...wait...call Mandy. I need to check something.” The Scott blinked, before shrugging and calling her.

Back in the autopsy room, Adam was pulled back out and opened up again.   
“Mandy. Take a look here.” He pointed a gloved finger to one of the ribs. She did and her eyes widened.  
“These were clean through, but it looks like they had trouble. There's a lip in the bone. Like the assailant had bitten, but reeled back before finishing the job.” Cole flickered his gaze between the corps and his friends.  
“So...our murderer had a toothache?” Darren nodded.  
“Yes, actually.” Mandy nodded.  
“These seem like they came from an older attacker. One with ailing dental health.” Darren glanced at his partner.  
“Let's go talk to Eric Perks.” He nodded and they left, as Mandy stared at the lip in the bone.

In the car, the two men drove down the street, away from the precinct. Cole sighed.  
“Darren.”  
“Hm?”  
“You've...been a little off since the case with Abigail. Ya know...the angel.”  
“How so?” He turned into the next street, as the Scottie rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
“You've been guarded. It's somethin’ I ‘aven't seen in you since we were in the army. Don’ tell me you're startin’ ta have flashbacks…” The brunette sighed.  
“No. I'm fine. I've just been shaken up…” A look of realization came over his friend’s face.  
“About killing that incubus…” Another sigh came to the younger’s lips, as they came to a stoplight. He laid his head on the wheel and took a deep breath. Cole knew this quirk his friend had when he was stressed.  
“Darren. Ya know you can control it. Ya won’t hurt anyone ya don't want ta.” A shaky breath accompanied him sitting up and going, as soon as the light turned green.  
“What if I attack any of you? I still can't control my damn anger. What if something just...snaps? What if-" He was cut off by the red head.  
“Ya won't. Now, we got a guy to question. Pull yourself together and we’ll talk after. Alright?” Without realizing it, he had pulled the car up to the correct house. He took a deep breath and folded his hands behind his neck, closing his eyes. After a couple seconds, he reopened them and cricked his neck.  
“I'm good. Thanks, man.” He only gave a half smirk and a raised brow. 

When they got out of the vehicle, the taller man pat his partner’s shoulder, before they walked to the door and rang the bell. A young man opened the door. He had short, side swept, peach dyed hair. His bright blue eyes looked up in surprise and a lip stud shifted, as he spoke.  
“Hello. How can I help you?” They both showed their badges.  
“Agent Darren Warren. This is my partner, Cole Davis. Are you Eric Perks?”  
“Yeah. That's me.”  
“We’d like to ask a few questions concerning a case of ours.” He idly nodded.  
“Of course. Come in. Come in.” He stepped away from the door, letting them both in. Sitting on the couch, the wendigo sighed.  
“What's this case you're on...what's it got to do with me?” Darren sighed.  
“When was the last time you saw Adam Aldera?” Being thrown right into it knocked him off guard.  
“Wh-What?”  
“When was the last time you saw him?” Cole held up a picture of said man. A glint passed through Eric’s eyes. Instead of anger, it was sadness and regret.  
“I last saw him a month ago. Why?”  
“Adam is dead.” Shock shot through his eyes.  
“What?”   
“Where were you between nine PM and midnight on Thursday?” He took a second to think.  
“I was here...watching a movie with my mom. You think I killed him?” Darren sighed.  
“We've gotten word that your breakup was quite violent, to say the least.”  
“Well...yeah. He found out about my drug abuse after I promised him I wouldn't do them again. He got angry and one thing led to another until we were almost to the point of swinging fists. He forced himself to calm down, before we ended up coming to a civil agreement. He used the method of reminding me that we weren't human, but we have the ability to reason like them. He reminded me that we didn't need to give in to our instincts. I've been using what he said to calm myself down whenever I get mad now. I...I can't believe he's dead...oh my God...his sister. Does she know?” Cole nodded sadly.  
“She's our Medical Examiner. She's the one that did the facial reconstruction on his body.” The horror set into his eyes.  
“H-How bad was it…” His eyes closed.  
“‘E was torn apart by a wendigo.”   
“Holy shit… “ Darren cleared his throat.  
“We’d like to take a bite mold. If you don't mind, that is.” Eric’s eyebrows raised.  
“Oh. Of course.” The brunette pulled on a set of gloves.  
“You got some warm water we could soak this in?” Just then, a whistle was heard from the kitchen, making the peachette stifle a snicker.  
“I forgot I was making tea. While I get the water, would either of you like some?” The agents looked between each other and shrugged.  
“Sure. Why not?” After a couple minutes, he came back with four cups of hot water and a few teabags.   
“Ya got all that?” He nodded and set them on the coffee table. One for each of them were set with tea bags, while the last one had the mold placed inside, being held in reach with a string over the side. 

“How did you meet Adam?” The sudden question made him look up from his cup. He gave a little smile, a blush dusting his face wistfully.  
“We met at college. We both weren't much of party animals, but we'd been dragged into one. Best part ever. We met, swapped numbers, and started a two year relationship...well...until we broke up.” Both older men smiled softly, as the timer went off. Lifting the malleable plastic out of the cup, Darren waved it slightly to let it cool.  
“Place this to the back of your furthest molars. Try and center it as best as you can. Let me know if it's too hot.” The wendigo nodded placing it to the back of it into his mouth, before retracting and blowing on it. Too hot. A couple seconds later, he tried again, fitting it in the back of his jaw. He looked back for instruction.  
“Firmly bite down until you can't anymore.” He did and another second ticked by, before Darren reached forward and gently jiggled the mold. It was a bit loose.  
“Alright. That's good, you can let go.” He opened his mouth and pulled the shaped plastic from his jaw, dropping it gently into an evidence bag.   
“If I may ask, why do you need a bite mold?” Cole glanced at his partner, as he nodded.  
“The bite marks on Adam’s bones had a lip on them, like the attacker had ailing dental health. We're just touching all bases right now.” He nodded.  
“I understand. I'm only half wendigo, so my bites can be a bit jagged.”  
“Half?”  
“Yeah. My mom is human. My dad...we've been...distant...since Adam and I broke up. He's been acting strange.” Darren stood and shook his hand.  
“Thank you for being so compliant. We’ll let you know when we catch this killer.” The shorter man smiled.  
“Thank you for doing your jobs. And thank you for being so open minded.” They both laughed jovially.  
“Of course we are. One of our friends is gay.” As they said their goodbyes and returned to their car, Darren sighed lightly through his nose.  
“Definitely wasn't him.”  
“How d’ya know?”  
“His posture was completely off guard and his worry for Mandy was something a killer wouldn't think of. Also, I watched him bite. He had no problem.” Cole chuckled.  
“This is why you're the profiler!”

Returning back to the precinct, Darren went straight to his computer, pulling up a face that showed age and exhaustion.  
“Daniel Perks. Registered wendigo. Aged sixty five.”  
“Think it's him?” The brunette sighed.  
“Let's bring him in.” 

Across the metal table sat a man with greying blonde hair and stern steel grey eyes. Darren walked through the door and dropped the file onto the table's surface.  
“Daniel Perks.”   
“That's m’name.” A picture of Adam’s mangled corpse was pulled from the manilla folder and slapped in front of him. A look of disgust crossed the man's face.   
“Why're you showing me that? That's disgusting!” Another picture, that of Adam’s face, was pushed forward into his sight.  
“Adam Aldera was found torn apart on Monday of last week. By a wendigo.”  
“What've I got anything to do with it?” Darren leveled a cold stare at him.  
“We spoke with your son, Adam’s ex. We learned that you've been distant with him since they broke up.”  
“That doesn't mean I killed anyone!” Darren leaned forwards.  
“No, but, Eric also told us that you threatened Adam. You said that you'd kill him if he hurt your son.” Daniel scoffed.  
“That's just something dads say to their kids’ boyfriends, whether they be a boy or a girl!” Darren stared at him with eyes that screamed that he didn't believe him.  
“We have a warrant for a bite mold, Mr. Perks. I suggest telling us the truth, before science does.” He took the mold and sent it off to be analyzed.  
“Now...you're going to stay here until that comes back.” He left the room and walked down the hall, turning to go down the stairs. When he reached the lab, he found Mandy scanning the plastic into the computer. Cole sat near her, his hand on her shoulder.  
“How's it going down here?” They jolted and turned towards him. Mandy rubbed her eyes.  
“The scan’s almost done.” As if on cue, the machine beeped. They all turned their eyes to the match on screen.  
“It's him.”

The door to the interrogation room opened again. Darren slammed his hands down to the surface of the table, making the older man jump.  
“That mold came back positive. You killed Adam Aldera. Why? It couldn't have been just the breakup.” The elder, knowing he was caught, snarled.  
“That...That thing had no place near my son!” Darren grabbed the man by his collar and backed him into a wall.  
“You killed him just because he was a vampire?! You call him a thing when you, yourself, are just as much a monster?!” Silver eyed flashed angrily.  
“He was a bloodsucker!” Spittle was almost flying.  
“What does that make you?! You are a cannibal!” Daniel had nothing else to say, as Darren lowered him to the floor and turned him around. He stared cuffing him, reciting the rights he had by law.

When they walked out of the room and to the hallway, they were blocked by a woman with black hair. The ex-military man could read her emotions clearly.  
“Do it, Mandy.” She hopped her face up and sucker punched him in the face. He spit blood, a split in his lip. Tears streaked her face.  
“Adam was my brother...and you killed him…” Behind her, a head of peach colored hair bobbed closer. A pair of pain-filled blue eyes stared at Daniel with disbelief and horror. His voice came out cracking, as if he'd been crying.  
“How could you?”  
“Eric-"  
“No. Adam was a sweet man. He was no more a thing than you or me. Like Agent Warren there said, if they are monsters, so are we. You say he had no right to be near me. I say…you have no right to be near me.” He walked away, as his father hung his head, he shame of being disowned making his posture heavy and his breath shaky. He became resigned and willingly followed the officer’s pushes towards the holding cells for now. 

 

Darren passed by the lab, finding Cole with his arm around Mandy’s back. He let a tiny smile worm onto his face, before he left without any sound tipping off that he'd been there. He walked by his desk, glancing to the empty one to his left. A look of wishfulness crossed his face. He hoped the half angel was enjoying his vacation right about now.


End file.
